New Roots Farm was created in 2009 by the International Rescue Committee (IRC), which operated the farm until transferring management responsibilities over to the City Heights Community Development Corporation (CHCDC) in 2019.

CHCDC, a 501c3, is still managing the farm – as it has since 2019.

In May of 2023, Alexis Villanueva was appointed Executive Director of CHCDC – the first woman of color in over 40 years to ever hold this position and grew up in City Heights. Under this new leadership, we are making a renewed commitment to New Roots Farm – with a focus on improved programming service delivery, as well as centering inclusivity, equity, and open communication with our community and our farmers.

Two former farmers who participated in the New Roots program previously expressed concerns stemming from challenges associated with the former leadership at CHCDC. With the guidance of our new Executive Director, our team addressed all these program-related issues. As a result, 71 farmers expressed their willingness to partner with the new leadership at CHCDC to enhance the program, and to date, 71 farmers have renewed their enrollment for 2024.

The City of San Diego has acknowledged it made an error and determined that it did not have the authority to allow IRC to develop New Roots Garden under it’s original agreement – now CHCDC is working hard to rectify the situation, engaging with the City to clarify details and determine the best path forward regarding the lease agreement for the property. The City of San Diego has confirmed that New Roots Garden is in good standing as an operational program managed under CHCDC.

Since 2019, CHCDC has been responsible for managing the farm's daily operations and has consistently covered all associated fees and costs. According to San Diego City Council President Sean Elo-Rivera (District-9), "for over 15 years, the New Roots Community Farm has been a point of community pride as it has been one of the best examples of what makes City Heights such a special place. People from all over the world, of different faiths, religions, and cultures finding a little bit of peace, comfort, and security in the garden. They've shared resources and recipes, tilled the land and told stories of the lands from which they came, and built friendships that tore down the walls of linguistic and racial differences. All of this beautiful work was supported by two local nonprofit organizations. First, the International Rescue Committee and then the City Heights Development Corporation. These organizations did what they could, with the resources they had and the information the City provided to create a special environment that made many people very happy for many years. I am grateful for all the good the farm has produced. As First Lady Michelle Obama said when she visited the garden in 2010, ‘It’s a model for the nation, for the world.’

The City of San Diego's unfortunate administrative error in 2008 does not and should not erase all the good that has happened at New Roots Community Farm.”

Two farmers engaged external groups, not connected to the farmers at New Roots, and have created a hostile environment for our program farmers, characterized by actions including harassment and intimidation. The actions committed by external groups have resulted in our staff, volunteers, and farmers feeling threatened daily.

These external groups have organized their actions without the involvement of the 69 New Roots farmers, nor have they coordinated with CHCDC.

In response to our commitment to the well-being of New Roots farmers, CHCDC hired a plain-clothes security officer. Their role is to ensure the safety of enrolled New Roots farmers, their friends, and family who access the space.

Despite the presence of the security officer, On January 21, 2024, the individual groups, and former farmers causing disruption proceeded to cut through the front gate chain, damage and steal property, disrupting the farm's operations. The vandalism caused many farmers not to be able to operate in the farm due to the fear of what happened in the space. May farmers lost income because of the disturbance. CHCDC worked with those farmers to provide a stipend to cover their cost, as this was an unfortunate situation that they did not contribute to and are victims of.

CHCDC is in favor of productive dialogue and discourse, but we will never condone violence. Further, On 1/24/24, CHCDC and the program farmers organized their first listening session of 2024. Once again, those who broke into the farm previously were at the gate shouting at farmers. One former participant pushed over security and continued to intimidate farmers by recording them.

New Roots was created to be a positive place, fostering peace and well-being for our farmers and the community. To be cursing at farmers, attacking security, and harassing staff, is not something CHCDC will tolerate. Our Executive Director has expressed a commitment to calling out violence in our community. CHCDC will make sure to address violent behaviors and violations against farmers. CHCDC 's priority to our community continues to be the safety and security of our farmers and the community.

To ensure transparency, CHCDC’s Economic Development and Resident Services departments organized an open listening session with farmers in late October 2023. We also attempted mediation in November 2023 and December 2023 with a translator, and the upset parties declined mediation.

To maintain a safe and secure environment at New Roots, we have requested that all farmers refrain from sharing access code information with non-farmers and the public. CHCDC is working diligently to enhance security measures. In our first listening session, our current cohort of farmers expressed wanting onsite security guards, issuing identifying badges for farmers and staff, updating locks, improving lighting, and installing cameras to bolster safety throughout the community. We will make sure those needs are met in the New Roots Garden during this time to make our farmers feel safe. Our goal for New Roots is to thrive as a vibrant community hub, enabling our farmers to continue cultivating fresh and healthy food to eat and to sell.

No, this is a rumor. There is no truth to it.

New Roots Garden has been a historical and important gem to the City Heights Community. Our focus for this land is solely on maintaining – and improving – New Roots Garden as a peaceful sanctuary for healthy food, a place to build community, and a means for farmers to earn supplemental income. We steadfastly believe that the ability to garden at the New Roots Garden is a coveted asset in the City Heights Community – and important for economic security, mental health and overall well-being.

On Feb. 22 at 4 p.m., we will release our new report, “Development without Displacement,” developed with the full participation of the community. This report will drive our housing policy moving forward and its recommendations will focus on housing production and development that center equity and working families. These policies are designed to proactively mitigate displacement by centering community needs. The whole community is invited to hear the results of this report, which has been in development since 2021.

Our continued focus remains on creating and sustaining a safe space where all voices are heard and valued.

CHCDC did not evict farmers from the New Roots Program. This program consists of program participants completing an annual renewal agreement in which they express if they wish to continue their enrollment at the farm. No evictions take place in this program.

With the expiration of 2023 agreements on December 31, 2023, individuals who opted not to sign a new program enrollment agreement for 2024 were not continued in the program. We are delighted to maintain our partnership with the 71 farmers who have renewed their enrollment for 2024 in the New Roots program. CHCDC anticipates opening the waitlist for new program participants in mid-February.

CHCDC did not give notices to 20 farmers. This claim is false. Under the new leadership, CHCDC has never given eviction notices. In early December, CHCDC staff began working to schedule individual check-ins with all farmers interested in renewing their annual agreements. In mid-December, the CHCDC team posted reminder memos to farmers who had not yet signed agreements, alerting them of the December 31st deadline. These farmers were asked to contact CHCDC to arrange their renewals in January. As a result of this communication, more than a handful of farmers connected with CHCDC to schedule their annual renewals.

In mid-January, CHCDC posted a final non-renewal memo, alerting farmers who had not yet signed their annual agreement that their participation in the program would end on January 16th unless they contacted the organization. Following the distribution of these memos, a handful of farmers scheduled their renewal agreements to maintain their participation in the program.

The notices served as reminders of the renewal deadline, prompting over 15 farmers to renew for the 2024 program. Within these communications, two farmers expressed their intention not to renew their agreements with CHCDC in 2024.

During our conversations with the farmers and through open listening sessions, farmers expressed that they were not in favor of owning the land. Instead, farmers overwhelmingly expressed a desire to work with CHCDC's new leadership to improve operations and increase transparency in the program.

CHCDC’s new leadership has made a commitment to empower the farmers through training in budget management, grant writing, and entrepreneurship skills. Our goal is to eventually offer farmers the opportunity of cooperative ownership. The new leadership will fully support the direction chosen by the farmers as they continue developing the program.

CHCDC is committed to maintaining an open and transparent relationship with New Roots farmers – and our community.

Please know our organization is here to listen, answer questions, and address any concerns. We plan to have regular meetings with New Roots farmers to engage, communicate, and gather valuable feedback.

We thank all the groups, organizations, and community leaders who have reached out to speak about the misinformation regarding New Roots Garden. Your partnership is necessary to continue to support urban agriculture and farmers in City Heights. We are happy to partner with you.

If you would like to discuss anything about CHCDC, we are happy to meet with you any time – with a translator if needed – to discuss any issues or concerns. The best way to arrange a meeting is to contact us at 619-584-1535 or info@cityheightscdc.org.

Due to ongoing litigation initiated by a former participant, City Heights is unable to discuss further at this time but can share this update. After numerous temporary restraining order attempts filed by a former program participant, a recent court hearing granted the participant temporary access to the farm until the next court date. As we are working through legal matters with this individual, they are allowed back into the space until further notice and a solution is met.

CHCDC has contacted this individual multiple times to seek mediation with the goal of finding an amicable solution to resolve the matter before legal action was taken and before multiple court hearings.

City Heights CDC continues to be the authorized administrator of New Roots Garden and will continue to oversee the program. Our commitment has always been, and will continue to be, to those 71 farmers who have conveyed their needs and requests and want to continue contributing to the Urban Agriculture movement in City Heights.

CHCDC, in partnership with Wakeland Housing and Development, welcomed Bikes del Pueblo to work in a portion of the empty lot at 4050 El Cajon Blvd and are glad we could provide this space rent-free for three years. Bikes de Pueblo was aware from the beginning that this land would be developed into affordable housing as part of the Cuatro project. We partnered with another organization to offer Bikes del Pueblo alternative space in the community, which they declined. We are happy to be breaking ground soon on the Cuatro project, a 4-parcel affordable housing development which will bring 117 units of desperately needed housing to City Heights.